Five Times Asami Sato Felt Loved
by shadowinthedark13
Summary: "She's tired of never being the one." Asami-centric.


**Title: **Five Times Asami Sato Felt Loved

**Rating/Warnings: **T

**Word Count: **1,276

**Character(s):** Asami Sato, Hiro Sato, Mako, Bolin, Tahno, Korra, Asami's mom

**Pairing(s):** Asami/Tahno, Asami/Mako, Asami/Bolin

**Summary:** She's tired of not being the right one.

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing.

**Author's Notes: **I've wanted to do this for a while now, but I never stopped and actually STARTED it until today. While in class. Not doing my work. Anyway, I've named Asami's mother Song, because I couldn't think of anything else (Korra names are difficult).

* * *

**Five Times Asami Sato Felt Loved**

* * *

**i. Song Sato**

* * *

When Asami was small mama used to read her stories. They weren't about princess with handsome knights or books about fairy tales. They told of great adventures and benders and Avatar Aang. If Asami had a first crush, it was him.

Her mama would read in different voices and prance around the room. By the end of the story, Asami wasn't tired, not in the least. But mama would kiss her and tuck the thick blanket around her and Asami would feel safe and tired and loved.

Mama often told her that she loved Asami; that she was the most important person in her entire world. Her mama was beautiful, elegant. Something out of a story book. She was the type of person Asami wished to be.

But Asami's mama died when she was five.

She doesn't remember much of that night. No, she remembers a harsh light under her door, remembers terrible screams and the awful smell. Asami realizes when she's older that it's the smell of burning flesh.

After that horrible night and after the long funeral, nobody read her stories or tucked her into bed.

* * *

**ii. Tahno**

* * *

Tahno isn't as bad as everyone makes him out to be. At least not around her. He may be arrogant and he might think he's better than a lot of people, but he mellows out around her and she likes that. He's the fierce to her calm.

When they both attend their first pro-bending match, her daddy gets them a booth and they both make bets on who will win. Asami wins in the end, and Tahno pretends that he bet wrong on purpose.

Asami was fifteen and she loved Tahno. Still does, really. She remembers the way his chapped lips felt against her own after his team won their first pro-bending match.

Maybe he loved her too, once upon a time. But they broke up when he realized that he liked money and fame and partying more than he liked Asami's soft hands and warm smile.

When she's seventeen her father doesn't get her out of the pro-bending arena on time. She watches Mako fall into the water and her heart lurches, but her gaze falls on Tahno. She sees the fear, hears his pleas and can see him struggling in the Equalist's arms. She watches Amon place his fingers in the middle of Tahno's forehead and the lightning that rises. Tahno falls to the ground in a shivering heap.

He says to her when she visits him days later, "Asami, I'm nothing now."

And Asami assures him that that isn't true; that he's an amazing person. He's kind and sweet when you get to know him, when he allows you close enough, and yeah he's a little rough around the edges, but he's her best friend and she loves him.

"I'm sorry I couldn't love you the way you needed me to. I'm sorry I wasn't good enough." He holds her hand with his right and presses his left to her cheek.

"Don't be," she says, leaning into the touch. But her chest hurts and the words sound better unsaid.

* * *

**iii. Hiro Sato**

* * *

Asami had never felt particularly close to her father, and after her mother dies he tries to be a good dad. He gives her everything she could ask for and more. But he was different. Maybe a little stiffer, more wary of the benders. Nothing too noticeable.

Daddy seemed to like Mako and he didn't mind paying for her fighting classes. He's said she'd put it to good use one day and Asami never really wondered why he said that. Just nodded and smiled and thanked him. He wanted what was best for her.

He gets angry when she tells him Mako and Bolin moved in, but she stands her ground, telling him that they _need_ a place to stay. He relents eventually, casting her an angry, disappointed glance.

And when he hands her that glove, the heavy material and metal weighing her hand down, Asami doesn't know what to do. He's looking at her with pleading eyes that blame benders for mama's death. But it was only one person, not a whole nation. And she knows what she has to do next, and it breaks her heart.

She slips the glove on, and it fits perfectly. Asami watches her father's eyes widen, the electricity coursing through his body. She wants to say that she's sorry but Asami isn't sure that she is.

When she faces him again he tells her, "Asami they killed your mother. That boy you love so much-!"

"No," Asami snaps, leaning towards the bars, eyes hard and angry. "One man did. Not Mako, not the benders of Republic City. So don't you dare place the blame on them!" She turns, ready to leave him to rot in the cell alone.

"I never wanted a daughter," he yells at her viciously, and she can feel the fire in those words.

She doesn't respond. Asami doesn't know how to.

* * *

**iv. Mako**

* * *

_This time,_ Asami thinks, watching Mako and Bolin and Korra spar, _it'll be different._

But she sees the way Korra looks at Mako, can tell how the young avatar feels. Asami wants to immediately back down, give Mako to Korra. But Asami doesn't want to give this up. She loves Mako and she thinks he might love her too.

He kisses her sweetly, holds her close with his constantly warm hands. Mako says, "What would I do without you?" And Asami answers, "I should be saying the same thing."

But no matter how hard she tries to forget about the tension between Korra and Mako she can't. Korra may be kinder now, more friendly with her, but Asami can feel the resent; the jealousy.

And it won't be her heart that gets broken this time. So Asami says to him, "They gave me my trust fund and I'm moving back to Republic City," and Mako understands. He's like her in a way. Always being left behind or forgotten. Getting things thrust upon him, things he barely understands.

It still hurts in the end.

* * *

**v. Bolin**

* * *

He surprises her.

The Bolin that Asami knows is childish and happy and carefree. This is different, strange.

Bolin isn't dark eyes and dangerous stances. But that's how he's standing in front of her, rock and metal and Equalists surrounding them. Somewhere Korra and Mako are chasing after Amon.

"I won't let them hurt you," Bolin promises her, and Asami holds back the '_I can protect myself.'_

He's bleeding, she notes dully. But so is she and Bolin darts forward despite his injuries, hands and feet flying as he fights past Equalists. She jumps in seconds later, fighting hand to hand.

Later that night while Korra patches Mako up in another room, Asami stays with Bolin.

"Why did you protect me?" Asami asks him, fastening a white bandage across his chest. He winces slightly, and that scary hardness has left his eyes. Now, they are calm and bright.

"Well why not? We have to stick together, y'know."

He says it like it's obvious. And she smiles at him.

She doesn't know how it happens, but she falls for this silly boy. It doesn't happen quickly or spontaneously. Instead, it's slow and wary and careful. Because they've both been hurt for loving people and they're terrified of it happening once more.

It starts with slow kisses and fun nights out on the town. And Asami can't be unhappy for Mako and Korra. What she has with Bolin is more than enough.

It's perfect.


End file.
